Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane is blessed with a "smart brain" and should be able to lead India well against Australia in the three Tests with his controlled aggression, feels batting icon Sachin Tendulkar.
Rahane will take over the captaincy from Virat Kohli after the first Day/Night Test in Adelaide. Tendulkar, having watched Rahane captain India against Australia at Dharamsala, is hopeful of a good show from him.
"This is going to be slightly different. Having interacted with Ajinkya Rahane, I know he has a very smart brain and he is balanced," Tendulkar told YouTube channel Sports Today on the eve of the first Test.
What Tendulkar likes is Rahane's intensity and preparedness before any big series.
"He is aggressive but it's controlled aggression. Whatever time I have spent with him, I know he is a hard-working player," he said.
"He takes nothing for granted, and if you're working hard, if you're sincere and honest in your preparation, the result will invariably follow," Tendulkar said.
For Tendulkar, it is always the process that matters and results invariably follow.
"I am sure the team would prepare to the best of their ability. Don't be focussed on the result. Focus on the process and the results will follow."
On Wednesday, even skipper Virat Kohli said that he expects his deputy to do a "tremendous job" in his absence and follow the "template" set by the team.
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Rahane said he didn't quite realise the value of his Melbourne effort that eventually became a building block for India's 2-1 series win against Australia.
Rahane, Shastri, star batsman Rohit Sharma, pacer Shardul Thakur, and opener Prithvi Shaw landed in Mumbai, while Brisbane Test hero Rishabh Pant arrived in Delhi early this morning.
Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar added 123 runs for the seventh wicket to help India score 336 in reply to Australia's first innings total of 369.